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andrea_author's review against another edition
4.0
When her parents refuse to allow Primrose to come out as promised on her sixteenth birthday, she rebels. She sneaks out that night and goes to Vauxhall Gardens with her BFF. The two get separated during a tavern brawl, and Prim ends up under the protection of a handsome, mysterious stranger. Falling into one adventure after another, can Prim keep her identity secret and her reputation intact?
It takes a bit of hubris to compare this YA Regency romp to Austen and Shakespeare, but whatever. Aside from being utterly implausible, it's pretty standard Regency fare—but probably educational and a bit of fun for young teen readers new to the genre.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
It takes a bit of hubris to compare this YA Regency romp to Austen and Shakespeare, but whatever. Aside from being utterly implausible, it's pretty standard Regency fare—but probably educational and a bit of fun for young teen readers new to the genre.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
hmeier's review against another edition
3.0
In congruence with my campaign to judge books by their covers, I requested this book because of the adorable cover and fun title. I love a Regency romp, and this story had definite YA Jane Austen vibes.
As the title implies, the book follows a similar plot to the 80s Molly Ringwald film, “Sixteen Candles”, except it’s set in 1821 England and doesn’t have an extremely racist portrayal of an Asian person. Basically, youngest child and perpetual rule-follower Primrose Ainsworth decides on her sixteenth birthday to do something rebellious. While her family is out (ignoring her and her special day) she sneaks off to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens with her best friend Olympia for a night of fun. However, a hitch in the plan separates Primrose from Olympia, and she is forced to face the gardens alone, searching for her friend – until she encounters a handsome stranger…hijinks ensue.
This book was fun but was structured in such a way that it felt like not much happened plot-wise, despite a lot of “action” occurring throughout the story. The main romance was cute and had good banter, but it was a little too “at first sight” for my tastes. I enjoyed the between-chapter quotes from “Lady Druthers’s Guide to Perfect Deportment and Etiquette”, as I spent a lot of time researching etiquette guides for my undergrad thesis, and thought that the book contained some good commentary on flouting societal convention. It reminded me in spirit of Cindy Anstey’s books, so if you liked any of those, I would recommend “Sixteen Scandals”.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for access to this ARC!
As the title implies, the book follows a similar plot to the 80s Molly Ringwald film, “Sixteen Candles”, except it’s set in 1821 England and doesn’t have an extremely racist portrayal of an Asian person. Basically, youngest child and perpetual rule-follower Primrose Ainsworth decides on her sixteenth birthday to do something rebellious. While her family is out (ignoring her and her special day) she sneaks off to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens with her best friend Olympia for a night of fun. However, a hitch in the plan separates Primrose from Olympia, and she is forced to face the gardens alone, searching for her friend – until she encounters a handsome stranger…hijinks ensue.
This book was fun but was structured in such a way that it felt like not much happened plot-wise, despite a lot of “action” occurring throughout the story. The main romance was cute and had good banter, but it was a little too “at first sight” for my tastes. I enjoyed the between-chapter quotes from “Lady Druthers’s Guide to Perfect Deportment and Etiquette”, as I spent a lot of time researching etiquette guides for my undergrad thesis, and thought that the book contained some good commentary on flouting societal convention. It reminded me in spirit of Cindy Anstey’s books, so if you liked any of those, I would recommend “Sixteen Scandals”.
Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for access to this ARC!
lonelyhuman's review against another edition
3.0
This book was actually pretty cute but the romance just happened too fast for me. You’ll probably like this book a lot more if you enjoy instalove.
cvlitt's review against another edition
3.0
Absolutely nothing special or original but still a very fun read that reminded me a lot of Bridgerton. The characters were pretty two dimensional but their cliches played well off each other and it made for an enjoyable story.
wolfdyke's review against another edition
2.0
This is a book that has a LOT of potential, but ultimately fell flat because it's so short. It would have benefited greatly from being longer, and from taking place over multiple nights rather than the majority of the story happening over the course of one singular night. And, because it's so short, the romance felt like it moved far too fast.
missellenmarie's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
shinypurplepants's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
elfqueenvik's review against another edition
3.0
This book was ok, the plot and the character development wasn't the greatest. At first Liked Primrose character, but as the book progressed and she constantly forgot about her friend (accept for occasionally remembering her for a brief moment only to quickly forget when she was engaged with and activity with the Romantic interest.) The romance was also ok, It was very insta-lovey and developed very quickly. In general this book could have used some more development, there was also a bit of queer-baiting as its hinted at at the end that two of the female characters ate interested in each other.
If you want a light and basic regency read you may like this but I cant say that id recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy.
If you want a light and basic regency read you may like this but I cant say that id recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy.